Bear invasions up, food down

WOODSTOCK — A drought-fueled lack of food is largely to blame for the soaring number of black bear invasions in the mid-Hudson, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

Pauline Liu

WOODSTOCK — A drought-fueled lack of food is largely to blame for the soaring number of black bear invasions in the mid-Hudson, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

"The bears are a little more desperate this year for alternative food because their natural source of food is not so available," said wildlife biologist Matthew Merchant, who is known as DEC's "Bear Guy."

Already this year, the DEC has received 300 inquiries about nuisance bears in this area. In all of last year, it received 390.

DEC wildlife specialists have caught and killed a record seven bears in Orange, Sullivan and Ulster counties for invading homes, a summer camp and a farm.

"On average, only one bear is killed each year, and they don't like doing it," DEC spokeswoman Wendy Rosenbach said of staff. "(But) once bears start getting into homes, they become a danger to the community and people's lives are at risk."

DEC has also tagged nine other nuisance bears for monitoring in hopes that they can be prevented from making more break-ins.

In several cases, bears paid their visits after smelling food being prepared through screened windows, Merchant said.

Since hungry bears are notorious for Dumpster-diving, the DEC advises residents not to leave their trash out for long periods of time between garbage pickups and to use bear-proof latched trash containers.

Merchant also suggests putting an ammonia-soaked rag on top of your trash since bears hate the smell.

Bears have been roaming lately since June-July is mating season. Adult bears also drive their young away during the summer so they can be on their own.

"Most of the bears that we've caught are young adults that were just kicked out or hungry pregnant females," Merchant said.

According to the DEC, the estimated bear population in the Catskills has soared to about 2,800.

Getting a house call from a bear is a terrifying experience. Just ask Donna Graham of Lake Hill near Woodstock.

She was home when a hungry, mangy female bear broke into her house not once but twice. During a visit last month, the bear ripped out a living room window in the middle of the night, spraying shattered glass everywhere.

"It's been a monthlong nightmare," she said. The DEC eventually trapped and killed the bear.

About the same time in the Woodstock hamlet of Bearsville, Martin Knowles and his family received three visits from a mother bear and her cubs. Fortunately, they were not at home each time the bears trashed the house. When the bears returned a fourth time, DEC fired two shots at the mother bear but missed. The bears were apparently spooked enough to stay away.

Graham said that some people are angry at her for calling DEC.

"It's very tragic what happened, but human life takes precedence over animal life," she said.

pliu@th-record.com

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